Louis boonex



(No Model.)

L. BOONEN.

BICYCLE.

Patented May 24 v that is, applying to thefront UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

LOUIS BOONEN, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

BICYCLE.

sen t, on alarger scale, in horizontal and vertical section, respectively, details of the guideboxes of the rod transmit-ting the motion.

0n the hub of the steering-wheel a little pinion mis fixed, which gears with a wheel M, mounted on a spindle U, revolving in a ballbearing L, provided with a regulating device. This bearing is fixed by two screws '2; to a plate forming an extension of the end of one arm of the front fork f. A little crank K, fixed at the end of the shaft U, is pivoted to a rod J, which is pivoted to a socket I, in which is fixed by means of a collar I .the end of arod E. This rod is guided in a plane parallel to the steering-wheel by boxes F F, attached to the fork by means of clips G H G H. The upper end of the rod E is connected by a small link D to a lever O, pivoting on a clip 15, attached to the steering or handle bar A. The steering 0r handle bar has a fiat part formed at g, on which the hand can rest without danger of slipping. This little mechanism normally runs automatically in consequence of the rotation of the steering-wheeL \Vhen, however, the cyclist wishes to accel rate the movement of the steering-wheel and: by the movement of the latter assist the driving-wheel over the dead point, it sufiices for him to exert with his fingers a slight pull on the lever C at the moment when the rod E is rising. This action is transmitted, as will be easily understood, to the steering-wheel and from thence to the Whole machine.

I have given the lever C a special form enabling the fingers to exert their pull in the direction of the axis of the rod E. In this manner the effort is as reduced as possible.

In order to avoida too strong and useless pull on the part of the cyclist, stops T, keyed on ,the rod E, are placed at suitable points. These stops, when the rod E is naturally at the'highest point of its course, encounter the covers of the guide-boxes F. At the same time these stops form part of a of ball-bearings and lubricators. sented in detail by Figs. 4 and 5.)

Risa washersaturated with oil. cover 8- slightly the oil with impregnated'is forced to escape by the holes in the box F. heballs r, which roll between their race in the stop To all (U/L07 it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, Louis Bo'oNEN, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bi'cycles, of which the following is 'a specification.

The invention has been patented in France, No. 260,067, September 29, 1896.

Efforts have long been made for facilitating the climbing of hills or gradients by cyclists. Byabetter distribution of the power a portion of the power exercised on the rear of the machine it has been thought that there could be.ob-

tained a more regular and better running on the level, combined with a diminution of fatigue on climbinga hill. The devices constructed according to this train of ideas, and which are'all designed to produce, by means of the arms, a supplemental powerin order to allow the cyclist to get over the dead-point, (which is produced when the line of the pedalcranks is normal to the ground,) all have the inconvenience of destroying the benefit which they bring to the traveling by an increase of weight and a complicated costly mechanism dilficult to operate.

The present invention, although based on the principles hereinbefore enumerated, is of so simple a construction and its operation is so easy that it introduces, so to speak, no complication in the construction of the manatural pull which the cyclist to exert on the handle-bar when climbing a I have realized all these advantages by driving the front or steering wheel by means of a very simple mechanism, which normally runs automatically while the machine is running, but to which the cyclist may impart a driving action at will, while maintaining his hand on the steering or handle bar by a very slight pull exerted by the fingers on a lever arranged under the handle-bar like a brakelever.

My invention is shown in detail in the accompanying, drawings, in which Figure 1 s a ront elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the whole mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view in section. Figs. 4 and 5 repre- 9 of the box F, are the re n front of the hall-bearings and alnhricatoicarried by 61 .1

box, substantially as described In Witness whonoof 1 have h hand in presence of two ii i v M) L in 15.061?

(1 E and the boxes F having and 7 T and the interior snrfac covered with oil in passingi holes 0.

My invention may be adapted with the 5 greatest facility to any existing machine. The modifications which it necessitates are absolutely insignificant. i

1 Claim-- In combination, the

pinion m and gear M, 

